Author: Penny Lochner

Thank you very much to everyone that ran for this year’s open board positions for the Delaware Valley Chapter of ACRL. Our members’ willingness to donate their time to the leadership of our chapter is a testament to what a wonderful community of librarians we have.

We are pleased to announce our newly elected board members:

Vice President / President Elect: Jessica Denke, Public Services Librarian at DeSales University

I would imagine that any first-time attendee to the Association for College and Research Libraries bi-annual conference feels equal parts overwhelmed and in awe while there. But this year it seemed intensified.

Now, as a first-time attendee (a title which I wore in a ribbon on my badge in hopes that it would initiate conversation, camaraderie, and inspire veteran attendees to counsel with some much-needed advice – it worked!), I don’t have much of a basis for comparison to past conferences. Even so, I could tell that something was different. There was a palpable sense of urgency permeating from the small groups to the Baltimore Convention Center’s biggest halls. The message was clear. Libraries are in danger of losing millions in federal funding and we need to save them. We need to help each other and ourselves.

Bigotry, woefully passive activism, and the very real threat of budget cuts were organizing themes from the Thursday keynote given by Roxane Gay, the first formal session I attended. Gay is not a librarian and the topics she covered weren’t specifically library-related the majority of the time. Rather, Gay spoke out against weak allyship, called out racism, and called us to act, not just for library funding, but for human rights in general.

I was (delightfully) surprised to hear this kind of opinionated speech take center stage – at what the speaker called a wonderfully produced talk at that. But I see now that I shouldn’t have been so surprised. When the just side of an issue is so clear, organizations and their members have an obligation to speak up. So now instead of surprised, I am proud. And I am acting. You can too!

When I accepted the ACRL-DVC stipend and was asked to write, I didn’t think this blog post would become a podium for social justice or a call to action to save the very basis of our profession. But that overtone was strong enough to make it central in any summary of this year’s conference.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to hear not only the loud centralized voices of this professional organization, but also to have engaged with individuals from institutions across the country who each have nuanced and, at times, conflicting viewpoints. It’s important for me as a young professional, and young person, to hear this multiplicity of voices and to be involved in the defining dialogue of the future of library science.

Lofty ideas aside, I learned practical solutions for problems that can occur in areas of college librarianship I hadn’t yet even considered. I was reminded to consider logistical factors, like schedule flexibility, workplace status and reputation, and cost of living when applying to Ph.D. programs post-MLIS. I saw how librarians are working with humanities faculty to make their work accessible through metadata. Librarians are creatively teaching and adapting metadata skills so that faculty and students can produce metadata themselves with library support, thus allowing the librarian to foster a strong digital humanities program while working on other projects as well. One poster highlighted that training sessions with school tour guides reduced the inaccuracy of library facts given to prospective students, which is a brilliantly simple solution to a problem I wasn’t even aware of. I saw a shining example of everything that is out there in terms of technology, organization, and institutions neatly packaged into a (giant) exhibition hall.

I was even able to have a bit of fun exploring the host city of Baltimore. From the top of Federal Hill, I took in views of the harbor that were no less impressive against a grey Friday afternoon. I attended the American Visionary Art Museum and was treated to exhibits about and made from food, alongside a 15 foot tall pink poodle. I’m still craving the artichoke and Maryland crab dip served at the ACRL-DVC Leaders’ Reception.

Ultimately, my experience at ACRL made me more acutely aware of issues and opinions in our field and introduced me to finer points of how this profession functions. This experience is impossible to mimic in a classroom and yet so integral to producing well-informed librarians. I would not have been able to learn all that I did without the generosity of the Delaware Valley Chapter of ACRL. Thank you.

ACRL-DVC President Martha Stevenson is pleased to report that MLS student Julianna Pakstis was awarded a scholarship to attend this year’s ACRL conference in Baltimore. Julianna will provide a report on her conference experience for the ACRL-DVC blog.

The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL-DVC) annual scholarship essay is designed to foster and support future academic librarians. This year, a $1000 scholarship award was offered to cover expenses to attend the ACRL 2017 Baltimore Conference, At the Helm: Leading Transformation. The ACRL conference is held once-every-two-years and offers librarians the opportunity to discover new ideas and to stay at the forefront of the profession.

Ending a Friday filled with energizing and informative sessions at ACRL 2017, ACRL leaders and local chapter members gathered at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards to relax, recharge, and swap stories while enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres. ACRL-DVC provided financial support and planning input for the event. Many thanks go to the Maryland Chapter for inviting us to participate and handling the logistics. Also thanks to the additional sponsors whose generosity helped make this event possible.

It’s that time again! The 2017 National Library Legislative Day is quickly approaching and will be held on May 1st & 2nd at the Liaison Hotel in Washington, D.C.

National Library Legislative Day is a two-day advocacy event that brings hundreds of librarians, trustees, library supporters, and patrons to Washington, D.C. to meet with their members of Congress and rally support for library issues and policies. Participants will receive advocacy tips and training, along with important issues briefings prior to their meetings. If you are interested in attending this event, ACRL/ DVC is offering a stipend up to $700 to cover expenses (registration, travel, and lodging).

To apply for this stipend, please email the ACRL/DVC legislative liaison, Sarah Wingo (Sarah.Wingo@villanova.edu), with “ACRL/DVC Legislative Stipend” in your subject line. Include with your email a statement of no more than 300 words detailing why you would like to attend the Legislative Day. The deadline to apply is April 1st. For more information about National Library Legislative Day, you can also check the Legislative Day page on the ALA Washington Office web site (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/nlld).

Are you interested in a rewarding professional development opportunity with a team of fantastic librarians? The Delaware Valley Chapter of ACRL is seeking nominees for the following offices:

Vice President/President Elect– This is a three-year term, elected position. Serve one year as VP, one year as President and one year as Past President. Voting privileges. Must be a member of ACRL national.

Secretary– This is a two-year term, elected position. Voting privileges.

Director at Large– This is a three-year term, elected position. Voting privileges.

See the ACRL DVC website for full Board Member Position Descriptions with duties. The Board meets approximately ten times per year (virtually and in person) to develop programs, to provide mentorship and networking opportunities, and to address issues in the larger library landscape. The goal of the ACRL DVC is to “promote library and information services and library and information professionals in college, university and research organizations within the Delaware Valley.”

Nominations and self-nominations are welcome. Please submit nominations through this form by Friday, March 3, for ballot distribution on Monday, March 12. The ballot will remain open until Friday, March 24 at 5:00PM.

The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL/DVC) annual scholarship essay is designed to foster and support future academic librarians. A $1000 scholarship award is offered this spring to cover expenses towards attending the ACRL 2017 Baltimore Conference, At the Helm: Leading Transformation. The conference is held once every two years and offers librarians the opportunity to discover new ideas and stay at the forefront of the profession.

Library school students living or working in the chapter’s service area (eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware) and who are currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited program, including distance education programs, are invited to apply.

Each applicant will need to answer the following question in 500 words or less. The student who receives the award will be asked to write an entry for the ACRL/DVC blog about their ACRL Conference experience. The deadline to apply is March 3, 2017. Submit your entry to Martha Stevenson, stevenson@kutztown.edu.